Apparatus for vaporizing and applying liquids



4 Sheets-Sheet l y 1943 c. w. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING AND APPLYING LIQUIDS Filed D80. 11, 1940 May 18, 1943 c. w. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING AND APPLYING LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2v INVENTOR. 474 o i 1 y f r CA, J 0 BY May 18,'E943- w. JOHNSON 2,319,459

APPARATUS FOR-VAPORIZING AND APPLYING LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 iiinllllniiililnililipdlprilykiiifiinililiniiimi May 18:, 19 1-3 c. w. JOHNSON 3 94 I APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING AND APPLYING LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented May 18, 1943 APPARATUS FOR VAPORIZING AND APPLY- ING LIQUIDS Chester W. Johnson, Boston, Mass, assignor of one-half to Willard MacMillan, Watertown,

Mass.

Ap-plicationDecember 11, 1940, Serial No.- 369,604

10- Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus, for use in spraying liquids andit has for its object to pro vide an inexpensive and eflicient apparatus of this class.

More particularly the invention contemplates the provision of a manually controlled, self-contained, portable apparatus which may be operated to deliver a jet: of vaporized liquid as and when desired.

To these ends I have provided an apparatus of the character described which, in its preferred form, is constructed and operates as set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of the description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a spraying apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a partial section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a detail of the three-way valve hereinafter described.

Figure 6 is a section on line t6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is an elevation, partly in section, of

spray-gun hereinafter described.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical circuits embodied in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention is particularly designed for use in vaporizing and applying the fumes of a liquid chemical under pressure to surfaces from which it is desired to remove shellac, varnish, lacquer, paint, wax and the like, and by its use it is possible to accomplish this purpose. expeditiously, efficiently and economically. The illustrated embodiment can also be utilized to vaporize and distribute under pressure the fumes of a liquid for killing insects, rats and other vermin. Of course an appropriate liquid chemical, or blend of chemicals, is employed with the apparatus according to the purpose served by the latter.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a base IQ provided upon its top side with two upstanding posts H and I2 which are fastened at their lower ends to said base. The upper end of post I! is fixed in position within a socket l3 provided upon the underside of a bracket I l adjacent to one end thereof. The other post I2 is made at its top with a laterally extending arm l5 which serves as a handle by means of which the apparatus is moved about and transported. A downwardly projecting extension it of arm i5 has its lower end fastened within a socket I! forming part of bracket [4. Base ill, post I, bracket [4 and post |2l5l6 constitute the frame of the apparatus.

One end of bracket I 4 is made with a vessel [3 that is provided with a removable lid or top wall I 9 made at its middle with a well or pocket 20, Fig. 3, within which is seated the neck of an inverted bottle reservoir 21 holding a supply of liquid chemical 22.

The neck of bottle 2! is provided with a cap formed with outlet openings which are closed by a spring-pressed valve 23 while the bottle is being placed in position or being removed, as is usual with reservoirs of this type. Also, as usual, when the neck of the bottle is placed within the well 2&3 the valve 23 is supported in open position through the engagement of its stem with the bottom of the vessel l8 so that the liquid will be discharged by gravity from bottle 2| into vessel l8 until the outlet ports of the bottle cap are closed by the liquid within vessel l8, whereupon delivery of liquid into the latter ceases. Thus the construction described provides for barometric control of the delivery of liquid from reservoir bottle 2| into trap vessel 18 whereby the body of liquid within the latter is automatically maintained at a predetermined height.

The inner end of bracket I4 is made with a cylindrical vaporizing chamber 24 that is closed at its top and bottom ends by end walls. Adjacent to its bottom wall chamber 24 is provided with an inlet port connected by a pipe conduit 25 with an outlet port provided at the bottom of trap vessel l8. In this conduit is arranged a check valve 26 which closes toward trap vessel 18.

A branch pipe or nipple 21 is connected with conduit 25 at a point between valve 26 and vessel I8 and the lower end of this branch is threaded to receive upon it the upper interiorly threaded end of a removable cup 23 normally closing said end and providing a chamber for the reception of sediment carried into conduit 25 by the liquid as it fiows from the trap vessel i 8.

As will be clear from Fig. 3 the liquid chemical is free to flow by gravity from trap l8 through conduit 25 into vaporizing chamber 24 so that a body of said liquid is maintained within said chamber at the same level as that within vessel It! when atmospheric pressure exists in both vessel I8 and chamber 2%. This level, however, is a substantial distance below the top wall of the vaporizing chamber thereby providing a storage space for fumes or vapors.

Within the vaporizing chamber 24, Fig. 4, is arranged a pair of opposed nozzles 29 both of which are connected by a T 30 with the lower end of a pipe section 3| whose upper end is connected by a union 32 with a nipple 33. This nipple extends upwardly through the top wall of chamber 24 and has its upper end screwed into one branch of a T 34. Another branch of this T is equipped with a pet-cock 35, while the third branch is provided with a threaded nipple 36, Fig. 2.

The nipple 35 is connected by a flexible conduit 3! with one of the outlets of a three-way valve I38, Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the inlet of said valve being connected by a nipple with the outlet 33 of an air pump 39 of usual construction. The other outlet of valve I33 is separably connected by a coupling 4| with one end of a flexible conduit 42 whose opposite end may be equipped with an atomizer I43 adapted to hold paint or the like.

Pump 39 is fastened in position upon the top of base I and is driven by an electric motor 49 also fastened in position upon the top of said base.

A cylindrical sheet metal jacket or sheath 43, Figs. 2 and 3, surrounds vaporizing chamber 24, said jacket being made with a longitudinal slot 44 which is occupied by the web 45 of bracket 14. This jacket is provided with a bottom wall and incloses an electric heating unit 46 which is fixed in position upon said bottom wall. Air inlet ports 4! are formed in jacket 43 adjacent to the lower end thereof while the slot 44 also serves as an air inlet port. I

Jacket 43 is made with an arm 43, Fig. 3, within which is fixedly mounted a metal block 49 provided with a vertical threaded hole whose threads mesh with the threads of a vertically disposed screw 50 that is parallel with the axis of chamber 24. At its lower end the screw 59 is rotatably mounted within a socket on base III, while the upper end of said screw is rotatably supported Within a bearing provided by an arm 52 projecting from post I2. At its upper extremity the screw 59 is provided with a handle 53 by means of which it is manually rotated to adjust jacket 43 vertically relatively to the vaporizing chamber 24.

When jacket 43 is thus adjusted, the heater 46 is moved toward or from the bottom of chamber 24 and at the same time the capacity of the ventilating slot 44 is varied. In this way the temperature of the contents of chamber 24 is manually regulatedaccording to the character of the liquid beingused and as required during the operation of the apparatus. With this in view a thermometer .54 is mounted within an aperture provided in the. top wall of chamber 24, said thermometer extending downwardly into the liquid contents of the latter so that the operator is at all times informed as to-the temperature of said contents and is guided accordingly in his adjustment of the screw 50. r a

During the operation of the apparatus the liquid within chamber 24 is depleted but the trap l8 automatically replenishes the same through the pipe and maintains the level of the liquid a predetermined distance below the top wall of thechamber therebyproviding a space above said level for the fumes or vapors created by the heat from unit 43. At the top of this space is provided an outlet connected by a nipple 55, elbow 56 and coupling 5! with one end of a flexible delivery conduit 58. This conduit is of substantial length and at its opposite end is connected by a coupling 59 with the inlet of a gun terminal 60.

As shown in Fig. '7 the gun terminal 69 comprises a body 6| formed with a port 62 connecting the inlet 63 with a distributing nozzle 64. The port 62 is made with a rearwardly extending branch or extension 65 formed at its rear end with a seat for a normally open valve 66, said valve being made with a rearwardly extending stem 67 slidably mounted in a bearing provided in body 6|. A coiled spring 68 mounted on stem 61 bears at its one end against body 6| and at its opposite end against a collar 69 fast on said stem and serves to yieldingly urge the latter rearwardly against one arm of a finger lever I9 pivotally mounted at II within a slot formed in body 6!.

The upper arm of lever I0 has pivotally connected to it one end of a slide I2 that is slidably mounted within a metal bracket I3 rigidly fixed in position upon a block of insulating material I6 which, in turn, is fixed in position upon body 6|. At its rear end the slide I2 carries a spring contact I4 co-operating with a fixed spring contact I5 mounted on the block of insulating material I6.

At its rear end the body BI is made with a tubular handle 11 through which extends a twowire cable I8 whereof one wire, 9I, is connected with fixed contact I5 and the other wire, 92, is connected through bracket I3 with contact I4. The cable I8 is of approximately the same length as the conduit 58 and extends from handle I! to a switch box 19 fixed in position upon the top of base I0 and this end of the cable is equipped with a pronged plug 89, Figs. 1 and 2, occupying a socket 8| forming part of said switch box.

Box I9 is constructed with two manually operated make-and-break switches 82 and 83 in addition to socket 8i and from these three instruments conductor cables 84 and 85 lead to a junction box 36 into which also extends one end of a conductor cable 81 and one end of a main current supplying cable 88. The binding posts of heating unit 46 have connected to them the wires 89 and 99 of a two-wire cable 93 which also leads to switch box I9, Figs. 1 and 2.

The cable 81 is connected with the motor 40 and at times, sometimes continuously and sometimes intermittently, current is supplied to the motor through said cable as presently to be described. Also, when switch 82 is closed current is continuously supplied to the heating unit 46.

Figure 8 illustrates the electrical connections of the above described apparatus, 94 and 95 representing the two wires of the current-supplying cable 38. The wire 95 is connected with one of the contacts of the switch 83 which, in turn, is connected-by a wire 96 with one pair of jaws of socket 8i. The other pair of jaws of socket 8I is connected by a wire 97 with the other contact of switch 33 while the latter contact is connected by a wire 98 with one terminal of motor 49. To the other terminal of motor 49 is connected the main line wire 94.

One prong of the plug 86 is connected by wire 92 with contact I4 of the gun 69 while the other prong of said plug is connected by the wire 9I with the other contact I5 of the gun. The wire 89 connects its heater terminal with the main line wire 94 and the other terminal of the heater is connected by the Wire 99 with one or the contacts of switch 82 whose other contact is connected by a wire 99 with the wire '96.

It will thus be seen that the circuit of motor aci -459 40 .can-ibe maintained continuously closed by adjusting switch .83 into its closed position, or if this switch is left open and plug 80 occupies its .position'within.socket 8 I, asshown, then themotor circuit can be completed by closingthe gun switch 14-45. It will also be clear that lthe:c'ircuitof heating unit 46 is completed when switch :82 :is. adjusted into its closed position.

Theapparatus is prepared for operation in con- .junction with gun 6B, and to the exclusion of atomizer 143, by setting the valve element or plug of valve I38 inthe position shown in Fig. 6 and closing the heater switch 82, switch .83 being leit in its open condition. When thermometer 54 shows that a liquid vaporizing temperature exists in chamber 2 1 the apparatus isin condition for use. In using the apparatus'finger pressure is exerted 'upon lever 10 to close gun switch I1415:an'd outlet port ;65 whereupon airpump-39 is started and air .is delivered into chamber 24 adjacent .to the bottom thereof through the nozzles 129. Since these nozzles are 'in close proximity and opposed the jets of air issuing therefrom strike against each other and the a r :is

broken up .so as tobe scattered through the liq- :uid contents of-chamber 24 as it rises to the top of said contents.

The outlet 65 of gun Bil is of substantially greater capacity than the outlet provided by nozzle 64 and as a result a pressure of four or The jet of vapor or fumes thus forcibly dis- 1 charged from nozzle-64 is directed by the operator on to the surface to be treated, said jet consisting of heated mixture of vaporized liquid and air. To stop the operation of the apparatus finger pressure is removed from the gun lever 19 whichpermits spring-88, acting through the connections described, to open port E5 and switch ill-15. The opening of switch 14-15 stops motor 453 and pump 39 while the opening of vent port 65 relieves the pressure within charm ber 24 with the result that the supply of liquid within the latter is replenished by gravity through pipe 25, Fig. 8, fromtrap !8.

When it is desired to use the atomizer his the valve element or plug ll)! of valve I38, Fig. 6, is

rotatively adjusted manually to the extent of 180 degrees from the position shown which closes conduit 31 and establishes communication between the pump exhaust or outlet 38 and the conduit 42 leading to atomizer I43. 83 is caused to occupy i s closed position so that motor 40 and pump 39 are continuously in oper ation supplying air under pressure to the atomizer. The stem of the valve element or plug lei is provided with a handle H22 by means of which the valve is adjusted as described.

The conduit 58 is separably connected with elbow 55, Fig. 2, by the coupling 51, while the conduit 31 is separably connected with the nipple 36 by a coupling I03. construction provides for disconnection of both conduits and reversal of their positions. That is, it permits conduit 58 to be connected with nipple 36 and conduit 31 with elbow 56. After such adjustment, and with switch 83 open and the valve element or plug IUI occupying the position shown in Fig. 6, the pump 39 will be operated each time finger pressure is applied to gun lever 10 and air under pressure will be delivered into chamber 24 through conduit 31 and elbow 56 on top of the Also switch liquid .contents -of the chamber.

This results in liquid being forced out of chamber 2 through nozzles .29, pipe section 3i and conduit '58 to gun 60 whereit is discharged from nozzle 64.

Thus the above described apparatus is constructed to provide for the delivery to gun S0 of either a pre-heated mixture of air and vapor or the like, or a liquid which may or may not be .pre-heated.

.In order to avoid the accumulation of excessive pressure within the chamber 24 the latter is provided at itstop with a safety valve IM which may be set :or adjusted as required.

The'pet-cock 35 can be utilized to control and regulate the pressure within chamber 2 When said pet-cock is adjusted into its fully closed position as shown in the drawings all of the air from pump 35 is delivered into chamber 24 so that maximum pressure will exist within the latter, but when set or adjusted so that it is more or less open some of the air from the pump will be'diverted into the atmosphere through the petcock and lower pressure will exist within the chamber.

The finely divided state of the vapors discharged from nozzle '64, Fig.'7, and the force with which they are projected against the surface to be cleaned, causes the same to efiectively penetrate the painter the like that is to be removed so that not only is considerably less liquid required than heretofore to treat a given area of surface, but there is no apparent accumulation of suiplus liquid on said surface such as has characterized the use of apparatus and methods heretofore resorted to. The use of my new method and apparatus eiiects the removal of the paint or the like most expeditiously, conveniently and economically.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizing chamber having an air inlet port adjacent to its bottom and a vapor outlet port adjacent to its top; means for automatically maintaining a body of liquid Within said chamber at a predetermined level below said vapor outlet port; means for heating said body .ofliquid to vaporize the same; means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet port; a flexible delivery conduit having one end thereof connected with said va por outlet port, and a terminal at the opposite end of said conduit through which vapor from said conduit is directed on to the surface to be treated.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizing chamber having an air inlet port adjacent to its bottom and a vapor outlet port adjacent to its top; means for automatically maintaining a body of liquid within said chamber at a predetermined level below said vapor outlet port; means for heating said body of liquid to vaporize the same; means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet port; a flexible delivery conduit having one end thereof connected with said vapor outlet port; a terminal at the opposite end of said conduit through which vapor from said conduit is directed on to the surface to be treated, and means including a manually operated member adjustablymounted on said terminal by which the action of said air-supplying means is controlled.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a vaporizing chamber having an airinlet port adjacent to its bottom, a vapor-outlet same; means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet port; a flexible delivery conduit having one end thereof connected with said vapor outlet port; a gun terminal at the opposite end of said conduit'through which vaporis directed from said conduit on to thesurface to be treated, said terminal beingprovided with a delivery nozzle and also with a vent port communicating through said conduit with said chamber, and means for controlling said vent port and said air-supplying means including a member adjustably mounted on said terminal and manually operable to start said air-supplying means and close said vent and also manually operable to stop said air-supplying means and i open said vent.

4. The combination of a vaporizing chamber for holding a body of liquid; a jacket closely surrounding said chamber; a chamber-heating element mounted within said jacket upon the bottom thereof and beneath said chamber, and means. independently supporting said chamber and jacket with provision for adjustment thereof rela tively thereby to'regulate the effective heating action of said heating element.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said chamber is provided with an air inlet adjacent to the bottom thereof and with an outlet for vapors adjacent to the top thereof, and wherein there is also provided means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet, and a delivery conduit connected with said outlet.

6. The combination of claim l wherein said chamber is provided with an air inlet adjacent to the bottom thereof and with an outlet for vapors adjacent to the top thereof, and wherein there is also provided means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet; means for automatically maintaining a body of liquid within said chamber at a predetermined level below said outlet, and a delivery conduit connected with said outlet.

'7. The combination of a stationarily supported cylindroidal vaporizing chamber for-holding a body of liquid; ajacket closely surrounding said chamber; a chamber-heating element mounted within said jacketadjacent to the bottom there of; a screw disposed adjacent to said jacket with its axis parallel with the axis of said chamber, said screw occupying a threaded aperture provided on said jacket and serving as a support for the latter, and means rotatably supporting said screw so that it is held against endwise movement, said screw being operable when rotated to move .said jacket relatively to said chamber thereby to adjust said heating element toward and from the bottom-of said chamber and regulate the elfective heating action of said element. 8. A portable apparatus of the character described comprising a base; a vaporizing chamber fixedly mounted on said base and made with -an air inlet adjacent to the bottom thereof and with an outlet for vapors adjacent to the top thereof; barometric liquid-feeding means for maintaining a body of liquid within said chamber at a predetermined level relatively to said vapor outlet; chamber heating means; a pump mounted on said base for supplying air under pressure to said chamber through said air inlet; an electric motor mounted on said base for driving said pump; a current-supplying circuit for said motor; a flexible delivery conduit having one end thereof connected with the vapor outlet of said chambery'a gun terminal connected with the opposite end of said conduit, and a switch mechanism mounted on said gun terminal and arranged in said circuit, said mechanism being adapted to be manually'controlledto start and stop said motor.

9'. An apparatus of the character described constructed in accordance with claim 8 and constructed in accordance with claim 8 and wherein said chamber-heating means comprises a heater element and means for supporting said element adjacent to said chamber with provision for adjustment relatively thereto to regulate the effective heating action of said element.

CHESTER W. JOHNSON.- 

